The present invention relates generally to an electrical adapter or connector, and more particularly to a new and improved electrical adapter for providing an aligned and certain electrical connection between complimentary shaped electrical contacts.
Many problems typically arise during the installation of conventional electrical contacts, particularly during replacement when the contacts are found to be defective. One problem is that the wires leading into one set of contacts must be disconnected prior to the insertion of new electrical contacts and then reconnected, which necessitates the use of various tools in areas which are generally small and inaccessible. This in turn requires a significant degree of expertise on the part of the person making a repair, which often causes undesirable delays in the continuous operation of electrical systems due to the general unavailability of skilled workmen near the systems. Furthermore, even such experienced labor will be required to spend an inordinate amount of time in the actual replacement of a defective electrical contact element. Another problem results from the inability of the repairmen to insure that an electrical connection between contact surfaces is as effective and certain as was the original connection; it is difficult to insure that the surfaces are properly aligned and in contact over a maximum surface area. A related problem is the inability of workmen to insure that the electrical contact surfaces are properly aligned when initially attached and that the resultant original electrical connection is as effective as desired.
Several attempts to overcome the aforementioned problems are disclosed in the prior art. For example, Collins et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,742,626, disclose a multiple electrical connector designed to detachably connect a plurality of circuits. The connector comprises adjacent insulating blocks, each of which has a plurality of contact pins biased within bores located in the blocks. Although this connector insures accurate alignment and contact between the surfaces of mating electrical pins, it also requires that two adjacent blocks be securely fastened to one another by an unwieldly nut and bolt combination. Furthermore, the mating surfaces of the contact pins which are designed to receive complimentary conical contacts cannot be positioned beyond the upper surface of their associated insulating block.
Cope et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,442, disclose an electric coupler for joining electric lines between adjacent railway cars. Although this coupler includes a plurality of biased conically shaped electrical contacts designed to snugly engage one another, it is quite large and cumbersome and is not designed to overcome the problems involved in the repair of malfunctions and defects in small electrical connections.
The connector of Redd et al., as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,220, does not overcome the problem of inferior electrical contact inherent in prior art connections. Although the connector includes a conical male plug biased into engagement with a conical female receiving plug, it does not create a superior electrical attachment by mating the plugs over the major portion of their respective surface areas. A workman could not insure a superior attachment by simply dropping a plurality of contacts into the connector, as the female plugs include no biasing elements which serve as means for aligning complimentary contacts into a desired position relative to each other.
Viola et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,703,621, disclose a reciprocating conical switch assembly in which a plurality of spring loaded conical connectors are biased into connection with an equivalent number of bores. Although this assembly includes a number of complimentary shaped mating electrical contacts, they are part of a complex internal reversing switch arrangement and the assembly cannot be used to facilitate the creation of an aligned and certain external electrical connection.
The microswitch of Lyell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,277,249, is designed to minimize machine down time, shorten repair time and enable a switch to be repaired by a relatively unskilled laborer. Individual plug-in contact units are provided to replace any internal switch unit which may be defective. While this switch does disclose the general concept of repairing electrical units by simple replacement of individual elements, it does not provide a means for self-aligning electrical contacts and insuring certain electrical connection between complimentary shaped contact surfaces.
It is apparent that none of these prior art devices are capable of simply overcoming all of the aforementioned problems inherent in the installation and replacement of mating electrical contacts. All of these prior art devices are incapable of facilitating the repair of defective components and/or fail to provide an aligned and certain electrical connection between complimentary shaped contacts. None of these devices provides an electrical adapter or connector designed to receive a plurality of stationary electrical contacts in a manner which will insure superior electrical connection between contacts while permitting a layman to simply and quickly form such an attachment.